Will Williams Meditation

I'm a freelance writer living in Shoreditch, frequently commenting on life in London; from coffee, to pubs, food, science and anything new and interesting.

Published February 14th 2015

Meditation Design For London

If you're looking for a way to unwind from the stresses and strains of living in a city then a meditation class at Will Williams Meditation in London may just be the ticket.

After attending one of the courses last weekend I can safely say that it's well worth the time. Held over Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday the course teaches Vedic meditation (the oldest know technique) that's perfectly suited for life in a bustling city. It's not a monastic practice and brown robes and mountaintops were not a pre-requisite.

Many of the people I met were attending with a particular objective in mind, reducing stress, anxiety and insomnia were common themes, but there was also a healthy selection of inquisitive minds simply there to see how meditation could make them feel happier and more content.

The practice revolves around the use of mantras (there are thousands available) but each person is given their own unique mantra based on requirements, personality and its effect (and a certain amount of training and intuition by Will).

You're taught how to use the mantra, and the soft and gentle repetition in your own mind has a soothing effect throughout your entire body. After 20 minutes you open your eyes to a slightly different but improved version of yourself.

Throughout the weekend we learnt how Vedic meditation differs from other meditation techniques. Quite interesting considering I had previously assumed "meditation" was an all-encompassing term. Just as martial arts can be broken up in to Kung-Fu, Karate, Judo, Ju-Jitsu and Kendo, meditation has a wealth of techniques with each holding their own personal merits and virtues. Vedic meditation is simple, quick, easy to do and effective, making it possible to perform on a London bus or tube without anyone raising a befuddled eyebrow.

We explored the effects it can have on the brain, our hormone production and how a relaxed and calm nervous system can benefit a multitude of medical and neurological complaints.

The community sessions provided a relaxing atmosphere with a combination of complete novices (myself included) to long-term meditators who had tried previous techniques and wanted to compare practices.

Courses and retreats are available for the more advanced and even a corporate meditation program to help both employers and employees with creativity and productivity in the workplace.

Overall it was very interesting and useful weekend and if your inquisitive mind gets the better of you, they regularly hold free into talks throughout the month.